Mark Stevens's Blog, page 46
October 16, 2013
Jason Heller – “TAFT-2012″
I’d vote for the guy. Weight challenges and everything, what’s not to like? He’s down-to-earth and he tells it like it is. I finished Jason Heller’s TAFT-2012 at the same time as the United States Congress was (once again) locked … Continue reading →
October 7, 2013
Jess Walter – “Beautiful Ruins”
“I just…write.” That’s Jess Walter in Salon more than a year ago, talking about Beautiful Ruins. The interview provides a peek inside the mind of a smart storyteller who worked to bring shape and form to a novel over the course … Continue reading →
September 27, 2013
Susan Cain – “Quiet”
There are plenty of other reviews out there (1,500-plus on Amazon) that should be enough to convince you to read Quiet. If you have found this review and if you are contemplating the investment of reading time, don’t hesitate any … Continue reading →
September 15, 2013
Jhumpa Lahiri – “The Lowland”
The sweep of “The Lowland” is large. It’s a multi-generational, two-continent saga. The focus is on two brothers who take divergent paths. And it’s about the woman who knows them both. I enjoyed Lahiri’s two collections of short stories, “Unaccustomed … Continue reading →
September 8, 2013
Q & A With Gwen Florio — “Montana”
With a few decades of journalism under her belt, Gwen Florio recently quit the business to write fiction full time. Her first mystery, Montana, comes out in November. Dakota will follow next spring. Both feature reporter Lola Wicks. Or maybe … Continue reading →
August 25, 2013
“Levels of Life” – Julian Barnes
“Levels of Life” reminds me why we read: to hear other voices and walk in another’s shoes. “Levels of Life” is about death (in a way like no other) and it is extremely sad (but not maudlin). It’s a book … Continue reading →
August 18, 2013
“Dead Run” – Dan Schultz
From the cover flap, first sentence: “On a sunny May morning in 1998, three friends in a stolen truck passed through Cortez, Colorado, on their way to commit sabotage of unspeakable proportions.” In “Dead Run,” Dan Schultz looks back over … Continue reading →
August 8, 2013
Q & A with L. Annette Binder – “Rise”
The following interview was originally published August 8, 2013 on Telluride Inside … And Out. Q & A with L. Annette Binder Earlier this year at The Denver Press Club, all the finalists for the 2013 Colorado Book Awards were given … Continue reading →
July 21, 2013
David Corbett – “The Art of Character”
To all my pals out there pounding out stories and crafting the next best-seller for the waiting universe of hungry readers, stop your clacking keyboard for a few hours and read The Art of Character. Down to earth and highly … Continue reading →
July 1, 2013
Craig Johnson – “A Serpent’s Tooth”
In the case of Longmire v. Longmire, the verdict is in. As Craig Johnson knows all too well, the written version of the semi-jaded, semi-tough Walt Longmire fairly clobbers the two-dimensional approach on television. “A Serpent’s Tooth” is the ninth … Continue reading →
